Hoteliers react to minister’s comments, ‘tourism delivers jobs’

The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association has defended itself from statements by Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis who spoke about the need to fight precarious employment within the tourism industry.

In a reaction, the MHRA said the tourism industry offered job opportunities to a wide spectrum of employees with different levels of competences and skill sets.

“Despite the international economic challenges, growth in the tourism industry not only ensured the retention of current employment levels but also served as an opportunity to low skilled workers seeking new employment away from other less performing sectors, including the manufacturing and construction industries,” MHRA said.

It said that the tourism industry offered flexible working hours job opportunities to those seeking such employment conditions.

“This contribution to the wider economy is highly positive and expected to continue so any reference to precarious working conditions in this context may be seriously misleading,” MHRA president Paul Bugeja said.

“The core of the matter remains long-term industry sustainability and this will only be achieved through further holistic development of the current tourism product.”

MHRA called for a long-term clear strategic plan for Malta which should include a set of realistic targets in various key indicators.

The plan, it proposed, should focus on specific actions on what have already been identified as main issues for the industry in Malta: connectivity from as many possible destinations, extension of the core season and direct benefits in taxation.

“MHRA is seriously concerned that to date this plan has not been presented. This is critical because it will set the right bearings for decision making for the core operators and other stakeholders, and hence be in a better position to generate economic growth, job retention and job creation and thereafter improve conditions for all.

“Furthermore this needs to be further complemented through the new education strategy and related initiatives that aim to address employment demand and supply mismatches.”